Thus, it's helpful to pitch the telephone voice slightly lower than normal. Housekeeping tasks Help them to understand them and why they are important. Surprisingly to some, the most frequent complaints from patients do not concern fees or health services. A record can also be kept of office mailings if a separate advertising/public relations file is not maintained. These memos should be brief but include the necessary facts of who, what, when, where, and why. "I cannot hear you" or "I can't understand you" should not be used. The master list is usually kept in a 3-ring binder with subdivisions differentiating such items as: Many practitioners feel strongly that no patient of the practice should leave the office without a specific appointment unless the case has been formally dismissed. Another method to maintain full production capabilities is called "the Recall System." Patient Progress and Inquiry Calls Employees should arrive in the morning well in advance of patients so that preparation can be made for arriving patients. Some doctors expect an assistant to handle nearly all correspondence except those of a strictly clinical nature. When a check is properly made out, the proper data should be entered within the daily record and patient's ledger. Once purchasing functions are carried out, inventory control begins. A cancellation may be the result of a death in the family. Bookkeeping requirements If an assistant or associate is new to the office, it differentiates these entries from those of predecessors. 12. ), "I don't know where he is" (Golf? Once you know where you are, what your status is, and what course you are on, the next step is to determine what can be done to improve your situation. It must be adequate in amount and liquid in nature to meet fixed costs, variable disbursements, and contingencies. Protecting employees’ safety and well-being should be every organization’s top priority. It's more practical to have a full hour open at the beginning or end of a morning or afternoon, rather than four 15-minute or six 10-minute openings scattered about. For example, your health and safety (H&S) policy might be linked to your accident reporting procedure. Make important procedures such as first-aid and emergency exits clearly visible. All radiographs and their concurrent diagnostic findings should remain with the doctor as part of the case records for a minimum of 7 years. When your assistant appreciates the seriousness of efficient appointment planning and respects the responsibility and authority delegated by you, patients will reflect this attitude. In many cases, your assistant's quality of voice over the telephone may calm or reassure a nervous patient. Note:   As the doctor is legally responsible for the actions of his employees in the conduct of the practice, it is your responsibility to place specific limits on what an assistant may discuss with a patient, either directly or on the telephone. Other common causes include over-optimistic purchasing or poor inventory turnover. Would you mark us on your calendar too?" No practice or business can be operated successfully without its key people being able to retrieve information quickly. OFFICE HOURS VS APPOINTMENT SYSTEM Office philosophy should always consider patient handling, patient control, and patient satisfaction. The cause also may well be within your practice itself. It also underscores why you should document substantiation for the need of the services rendered. The two most common types of case reports within a chiropractic office are personal reports and narrative reports. Your office will find it helpful to keep a file of form letters and model paragraphs that may be referred to in similar situations, thus saving time and thought whenever a letter need not be slanted toward a particular reader. She should inquire into the general history of the case to show sincere interest. Policies and procedures support employment agreements by providing detail on matters that might not be negotiated as part of an employment agreement. Were first impressions positive? Other common causes include inefficient personnel, waste, poor security from theft or fire prevention, and improper equipment maintenance. Dietary instructions The liabilities involved in not obtaining proper consent for examination and treatment will be discussed in greater detail in Chapter 10. A good change is characterized by easy and rapid implementation, a lack of confusion, few effects on other procedures that are proven assets, and harmony with reality. 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